2017 Kia Niro SUV

Manufacturer Offer

* Disclaimer(s)

Truth in Lending Act Disclosure:
Down payment will vary with APR and credit. For example, 1.9% APR with $2,500 down payment provides for 60 monthly payments of $17.48 per $1000 financed for qualified buyers. 1.9% for a term of 24 months corresponds to a monthly cost of $42.5 per $1000 financed.
1.9% for a term of 36 months corresponds to a monthly cost of $28.6 per $1000 financed.
1.9% for a term of 39 months corresponds to a monthly cost of $26.46 per $1000 financed.
1.9% for a term of 42 months corresponds to a monthly cost of $24.63 per $1000 financed.
1.9% for a term of 48 months corresponds to a monthly cost of $21.65 per $1000 financed.
2.9% for a term of 66 months corresponds to a monthly cost of $16.41 per $1000 financed.
3.9% for a term of 72 months corresponds to a monthly cost of $15.6 per $1000 financed. The rates described are for estimation purposes only; you may not be able to finance at this rate.

Manufacturer Offer

$1,500 cash back on select Kia Niro models

* Disclaimer(s)

Cash back from Kia Motors America, Inc (KMA). Must take delivery from a participating dealer and from retail stock from 3/1/2018 - 4/30/2018. Cash back offer when you purchase a new car only and may not be combined with Special Low APR and Special Lease offers. This incentive is for a limited time offer on eligible Kia vehicles. Not all incentive programs are compatible. See dealer for details.

*Termination fee for all states except CO, IN, IA, KS, ME, OK, SC, WI, WV & WY. WI termination fee: The amount of the base monthly lease payment or $400, whichever is less. CO, IA, KS, ME, OK, WV & WY termination fee: The amount of two times the base monthly lease payment or $400, whichever is less. IN & SC termination fee: The amount of three times the base monthly lease payment or $400, whichever is less. Not all incentive programs are compatible. Additional terms and conditions apply. All matters of program eligibility and qualification will be resolved by Kia Motors America, Inc. ("KMA") in its sole discretion, and KMA reserves the right to change product and program specifications at any time without incurring any obligations. Cannot exceed 12000 miles per year.

Reviews

Driving Impression

Editor:

Mitch McCullough

“”

The Niro is far more fun to drive in Sport mode, but that’s where the fuel mileage will sink. Eco mode is more frugal, but it’s sluggish. The Eco mode is uncomfortable because it prevents the transmission from kicking down for acceleration.

The Niro snaps into Sport mode as the driver pulls the shift lever to the left, almost like a downshift. The car comes alive, and easily keeps up with fast traffic on the freeway. The Sport mode enables sharper throttle response and transmission shifts; and supposedly sharper steering too, although we couldn’t feel much difference in turn-in quickness or weight in the steering wheel.

Kia chose a dual-clutch transmission, rather than a continuously variable transmission, partly because it wanted the Rio to not feel like a hybrid (but just be one). Mostly, it didn’t want the Rio to feel like a Prius. Research has shown that hybrid owners don’t much like the characteristics of the CVT that usually comes with hybrids. The dual-clutch transmission uses gears like a manual transmission, but feels like an automatic, and can be manually shifted more sharply than a CVT. Niro doesn’t have paddle shifters, so you have to use the lever to shift the transmission in Sport mode. The transmission is quick, decisive and engaging in Sport mode. We found it curious that downshifting in Sport mode does not produce engine braking, especially the regenerative variety.

The brake pedal was a bit spongy, and the travel was long, but the blending of regenerative braking with friction braking was seamless.

One novel feature, called the coasting guide, tells the driver the most energy-efficient time to coast and brake. Predictive Energy Control looks at the route set by the navigation system, and comes up with a plan to spare the throttle and raise the fuel mileage on the trip, then instructs you step-by-step on a screen how to achieve that goal. Of course it doesn’t have eyes, it’s based on speed limits and elevation; so what it tells you to do with the gas pedal and brake in real time, assumes you’re the only car on the road. But it gives you the right idea.

The Niro sheds pounds with an aluminum hood, liftgate, and suspension bits. Its light weight and low center of gravity largely make the car handle and hold the road well.

Walk Around

Editor:

Mitch McCullough

“”

Crossover styling cues in the Niro can be seen in the big wheel arches with black flares, thick cowl, rocker-panel cladding, roof rails, and a rear skid plate that makes it resemble a Jeep Cherokee from the rear. There’s no obvious styling effort to mark it as a hybrid, no visible attempt to look aerodynamic or eco. But in fact the Niro is very aerodynamic, Kia says attention to aero brings the drag coefficient down to a low 0.29.

The low nose and wide sweeping hood conceal a long front overhang. It’s lower than the Kia Sportage crossover, while its lines are smoother and rounder than those on the Kia Soul.

Interior Overview

Editor:

Mitch McCullough

“”

The instrumentation is simple and basic, with big white-on-black gauges, with glossy black trim on higher models. It’s not trying to impress you. There are no gauges that give any clue to its being a hybrid, except for a big green leaf on the panel. The quality of the materials is good and the surfaces soft.

The front seating position is high, close under the low roofline, but not as high as in the Soul or Sportage. Kia says the seat frames came out of the near-luxury Optima sedan.

The cabin is wide and feels it. There’s comfortable room for four people, and enough elbow room for five no problem. But maybe not headroom. The rear seatbacks are already canted, not upright, so the passengers’ heads don’t scrape the ceiling.

The cargo floor is low and flat, because the battery is under the rear seat, and because there’s no four-wheel-drive components to make room for.

There’s less cargo space than in the Soul or Sportage: 19.4 cubic feet with the rear seat up, and 54.5 cubic feet with it down, not quite flat. But we found that it squashed down flat when we put weight on it. The cargo capacity is a lot less than the Prius v, with its 67.3 cubic feet.

Kia put a lot of effort into insulating the body structure and isolating engine noise, and it shows. When you floor it and the engine howls, the noise stays out of the cabin.

Summary

Editor:

Mitch McCullough

“”

Kia Niro is a practical subcompact car with a frugal hybrid powertrain. We think it wins most comparisons with the Toyota Prius v, from powertrain to handling to mileage. The Niro needs to be in Sport mode for the throttle to be fun.

Sam Moses contributed to this report, with reporting from New Car Test Drive editor Mitch McCullough, and staff reports from The Car Connection.

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